M. Foster Olive

My research focuses on the neurobiology of drug addiction and alcoholism. The ultimate goals of the my research program are to further understand how drugs “re-wire” the brain to perpetuate continued drug use despite adverse consequences, and to characterize new pharmacological compounds that may potentially be of use as aids in the treatment of drug addiction. Much of my research focuses on the neurotransmitter glutamate and its receptors, but other neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems are also studied. We use rodent models of addiction including oral and intravenous drug self-administration, conditioned place preference, and intracranial self-stimulation. Specific techniques that are used in the lab include behavioral pharmacological testing, intracranial microinjections, in vivo microdialysis, glutamate biosensor technology, quantitative PCR, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and confocal laser scanning microscopy.